iFeel Like Cinderella
by anquhluh
Summary: She'd never admit it, but sometimes going there made her feel like Cinderella. Spam. One-shot.


She examined her reflection in the mirror. She did it every day, but she never felt like she saw much. She put that aside because today she was looking for more. She decided to get dressed, hoping it would help her find that something she was looking for.

She moved about her small room, trying to get her things together. What would she wear tonight? To her, it felt like any other night. Her friends, who always strived to make things special, had convinced her otherwise. They had her best interest at heart, as always, but they didn't know that there was only one thing that could make her happy.

The second the thought entered her mind, she immediately began trying to dismiss it. "You always want what you can't have," she thought, half cursing herself and half defending herself by identifying with a basic human flaw.

She kicked her Converse out of the way as she searched her cluttered floor for her feel good shoes. She felt something stick to her foot, and lifted it to find a Fat Cake wrapped stuck to it. She laughed at herself before tossing it over her shoulder and back onto her floor.

She made her way to her closet, grabbing a dress bag from the back. Laying it on her bed, she began to unzip it. Just then, her cat jumped on the bag. He looked up at her, an expression on his face that only she could love. She picked him up and held him close to her befpre putting him down, a small furball left behind on her towel.

She discarded the towel and pulled on the dress. She smiled as its silky feel embraced her skin. She looked down and ran her fingers over it, taking its texture in and embedding it in her memory.

She pulled on her silver heels, securing its straps in place. She looked at herself carefully in her full length mirror. She loved the dress her best friend had picked out for her some months ago. "You'll totally rock it one day," she said to justify the purchase. She arranged her golden locks carefully and noticed how beautiful they looked against her royal blue dress. She applied some eyeliner and brushed on a light brown eyeshadow. Her glow was all natural.

She had gotten so lost in getting ready that the sound of a honk outside her building startled her. She looked out the window, squinting through the slight film of dirt on it. She saw a cab awaiting her. She grabbed her purse by its dainty silver chain before walking out of her room. She then behan to manuever her way through the living room, carefully stepping over empty pizza boxes and empty bottles. She stopped at the couch, hovering over the woman sleeping on it. She grabbed a blanket from the other end of the couch, putting it over the woman. She leaned over, moving a strand of familiar looking hair away from her closed eyes. She kissed the top of her head, casing the woman to stir momentarily before settling again. "Goodnight Mom," she whispered as she made her way out the door, shutting it quietly behind her.

She stepped into the cab a moment later, directing the driver to Bushwell Plaza. She sat back, tinkering with a silver charm bracelet on her right wrist. She'd never admit it, but sometimes going there made her feel like Cinderella. She'd step out of her coach and enter a magical palace, where she'd get a glimpse of Prince Charming at the ball and enjoy herself. She couldn't stay forecer though. She could only live a fairytale for so long.

She stepped out of the cab adn walked into the lobby. She took the elevator up and into the Shay loft. Everyone turned in her direction, their smiling faces cheering "Happy Birthday Sam!"

She smiled, mumbling an embarassed thanks as her best friends approached her. "Happy Birthday Sam!" Carly said, throwing her arms around her. "You look amazing."

"Thanks kid, this party is amazing."

Freddie stepped up, hugging her cautiously. "Happy Birthday Sam! Just remember, you can go to jail now." She flicked him on the forehead in response.

The night was amazing, with the Shay loft full of people who were having a great time celebrating Sam. She was having a blast. Once in a while, she'd steal a look at him and her heart would race. She tried not to let it effect her when he fell out of view.

The end of the night came too fast. The party started to wind down around midnight, with the last guests leaving around 1 A.M. Sam, Freddie, and Carly spent the next half hour cleaning up. After that, Freddie went home.

Carly stretched, letting out a yawn. "Come on, birthday girl, let's go to sleep." She started walking toward the stairs, pausing on the first step to wait for Sam.

"Go ahead, I'll be up in a second. I just want to get something to drink," Sam said, hoping Carly would listen without wanting to stay and wait for her. And Carly did, sleepily dragging herself up the stairs.

Sam stood alone in the middle of the Shay's living room. The difference between her living room and theirs never ceased to amaze her. She walked slowly, standing behind the couch and looking from one side of teh room to the other. She walked back around the couch, sitting in the middle and leaning her head back. She closed her eyes slowly, as if she was soaking up the room. She smiled gloriously.

She heard the floor creak behind her. She sat up quickly, opening her eyes wide. The floor creaked again, the sound of footsteps clear.

"Hey there birthday girl," Spencer said, smiling widely as he took a seat next to her on the couch.

Sam's heart raced at the sight of him. He sat so close to her that his arm brushed hers. She thought she might melt right where she was siting. "Hey," she returned, the quiver in her voice audible.

"How was the party?"

"Great, it was awesome. Thanks for letting Carls have it here."

"No problem, anything for you guys."

She smiled at that, wishing he'd left out the last word. It got quiet after that. Sam felt awkward, and as much as she didn't want to, she knew she should go upstairs.

"Well Spence, I'm beat. Better go hit the sack, goodnight!" She got up and started up the stairs.

"Sam, wait," he called out behind her.

She turned around, going back down the stairs. Spencer walked over to her, pulling her into a hug. Her body fit into his perfectly. She never wanted to let go.

"I got you something dor the special birthday," he said excitedly.

"You didn't have to do that. It's not all that special."

"Sam, you're eighteen. You're an adult now. It's very special. Plus the fact that it's _your_ birthday? That's extremely special."

She felt herself blushing. Her heart was beating so fast, she feared she'd pass out. Was this really happening or was she dreaming it was, like she has so many times before?

"Close your eyes," he said, breaking the hug.

Sam folloed his instruction. She wondered what he'd gotten her. Maybe Fat Cakes? Ham? Maybe he'd made her a sculpture. Her mind raced, knowing that the important thing was that he'd done something special for her.

"You ready?" he asked.

She nodded excitedly. A moment went by, then she felt a hand larger than hers intertwining fingers with hers. She felt a larger body pressed against hers, lifting her chin up with the other hand. Finally, she felt a pair of lips meet hers tenderly, a few strands of hair brushing her cheek.

It felt as though it lasted a lifetime. When the kiss broke, Sam's eyes shot wide open, meeting Spencer's. She opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced by one of his fingers on her lips.

"Sam...Samantha Puckett, you've grown up into such a beautiful woman. I've been wanting to tell you this for a while now, but I think you're an amazing girl. You're such an individual, you live your life by you're own rules and it's just incredible. I know I'm older than you, and that I'm your best friends older brother, but I think what we could have is beyond a number. It's a feeling and I don't want to push it away because of what people think because I know what I think. What I'm trying to say is, I think I love you Sam."

Her eyes sparkled as the words processed in her buzzing mind. He waited for a response, a nervous look washing over him. She stepped into him, her chest against his as best as the height difference would allow. She looked up at him.

"I've been waiting since I was ten to hear those words. I love you too, Spencer."

He wrapped his arms around her, their kiss sensual and deep. Carly came down the stairs to see what was keeping Sam when she saw the them. They hadn't heard her come down and kept kissing. Carly knew she was watching something beautiful and intimate. Carly chuckled to herself, shaking her head slightly. "Finally," she said to herself, before walking back up the stairs.


End file.
